Raising Butterflies...

The older girls like to do this. They get the little caterpillars in the mail. They are in a container (and don't ever leave it!) and the container has the food they need in it. They spin webs, and grow (notice the size difference on these guys in 3-4 days!), and then go into their cocoons.

Notice on this container on the right...we have one in a cocoon (far right hanging), one in the middle that is changing (the bottom part is ready for the cocoon and is in the process of changing), and the one on the left is getting ready, but hasn't done it. To watch these guys go into their cocoons is cool! After about 5 minutes they're all in a shell and there they stay for about a week. And the girls wait around like a bunch of ninnies waiting in a hospital waiting room for a new baby! Fun to watch....

And then they are "born" or hatched!

We keep them in this netting thing. Cheyennah got them to stay on her pillow on her dresser! Talk about spoiled butterflies! She also held them frequently...and they seemed to like her.

It's really a cool thing to do for anyone, but for us at home, it's a hands on lesson for all of us!